The local star, that's me.

For all you Quad Citians, I'm somebody! Reporter and arts and entertainment editor David Burke did a story on me for the Quad-City Times on Sunday, Oct. 16. It was the cover of the Arts & Entertainment section. I mean it was the cover! A HUGE photo of me peering through a mausoleum gate. Ironically, it was the same mausoleum I had my picture taken in front of for the Argus/Dispatch a few weeks ago for the Oakdale Memorial Gardens cemetery walk. But it looks totally different to those not as familiar with Oakdale as me (and Dustin, who even drove by while I was being interviewed--such a hard-core taphophile).

The long of the short of it (or something like that):

- The "Cemetery Walk" book launch event is this coming Sunday (hooray!!!). I have no idea how many people will show up. A good number have RSVP'd, and then there's the newspaper article announcing it. It could mean millions. Okay, maybe hundreds. Okay, maybe 100. I'm game.

- Mom is on food and decoration shopping detail. She and Grandma were working on some table decorations tonight. My friend Katie and I also shopped online for wonderful things. It's a Mardi Gras theme.

- One of the food items is called Plantation Curried Fruit. I am so excited about that! Plus, I'm making my famous (at least I think so) Minda's Huck Finn Sweet Potatoes, which were formerly known as Minda's Sweet Potatoes. I added the Huck Finn in homage to my buddy Mark Twain ... and because I was inspired to make them because of a dinner theater performance of "Big River" at Circa '21.

- I dropped off one more coffin press kit today. This one went to Barnes & Noble at NorthPark Mall in Davenport, Iowa. Bill and I also dropped by Borders in Davenport last night, and I talked to Terry. He apologized for not ordering my book sooner. He's already gotten requests for my book! Wow!!! How cool is that? Hopefully that book signing there will come soon. And, of course, I want to do one at Barnes & Noble.

- As my job with the Spirit Halloween store will be ending in a few weeks, I've decided to apply for another part-time job. I decided on Barnes & Noble, as I love books, I've worked at a bookstore before, and it's pretty close to Palmer (my day job). A few years ago I worked at Borders and really like my old co-workers there (Troy, Terry, Brandon ... and Jen is she's still working there). But they had me in the cafe, and while I love making espresso drinks, I do not like making food food. As a mostly vegetarian person, handling meat and such is totally gross to me. So if I did get hired back there, odds are they'd put me back in the cafe. No thank you. If Barnes & Noble offers me cafe work, I'm going to say no thank you. I've got to do something I know I will enjoy or it won't be worth the extra time away from my husband and the time taken away from my book and magazine stuff.

Why am I looking for an extra job, you may be asking? Because I want to finally pay off some medical bills that have been hanging around, and because I want to start saving for my next trip to New Orleans. I really want to go down for Mardi Gras 2006. They're going to have it, and I want to be there to celebrate the rebirth of the most beautiful city on earth.

- My cat Shakespeare misses me and is having separation anxiety issues. Our other girl India is pretty much upset because two nights a week she has to wait a few extra hours for her dinner. She weighs 20 pounds and is only 3 years old. She's a big baby.

- I'm waiting to hear back from a local music store about jazz funeral musicians for my book event. Cross your fingers that Jason finds some people for it!

- It seems some magazine subscribers mags have either gotten lost in the mail or were accidentally overlooked. Unfortunately, since I'm the only one running and working the show, this has happened. Fortunately, my subscribers are the nicest people on the planet and understand. You guys rule.

- I wish everyone from out of town could make it to the party this weekend. You guys are always with me in spirit, though.

- Say a prayer for my grandma, please. She's going in for a test tomorrow. Send some good energy her way.

- To read the QC Times article from yesterday, click here = http://www.qctimes.net/articles/2005/10/16/features/arts_leisure/doc4351c440a5949802502773.txt

- TheCemeteryClub.com has surpassed the 6,000 mark. Hooray!!!

Well, that's it for me tonight if I want to go to bed kind of on time. First I need to do laundry, which I forgot again until just now. Got to wash my Spirit Halloween shirt for tomorrow night! Work work work! If you're in the area, stop in and say hi.

G'night
Minda

www.TheCemeteryClub.com